疏通

shūtōng

verb HSK 7-9 #23,165

Meanings

1 to unblock; to dredge; to clear
2 to facilitate; to mediate; to lobby

Characters

to dredge; to clear

to pass through; unobstructed

Examples

HSK 2

工人正在疏通下水道。

Gōngrén zhèngzài shūtōng xiàshuǐdào.

Workers are unclogging the sewer.

HSK 4

他帮忙疏通了两个部门之间的关系。

Tā bāngmáng shūtōng le liǎng gè bùmén zhījiān de guānxì.

He helped smooth things over between the two departments.

Tips

usage

疏通 vs 疏导: 疏通 focuses on removing a blockage (pipes, relationships), while 疏导 focuses on redirecting flow (traffic, emotions).

Stroke Order

疏 shū

通 tōng